For example, the repercussions of an incident in a Las Vegas endoscopy center in early 2008 are still reverberating throughout that city’s population where as many as 40,000 patients were exposed to HIV through the reuse of needles at the point of anesthetic administration to save the clinic money. While we focus here on four at-risk groups - youth, seniors, minorities, and the adult-entertainment workers - everyone is vulnerable to exposure. Mandating the HIV/AIDS diagnostic test for all U.S. 3 To gain a realistic appreciation for the scope of the AIDS problem in America, three areas need to be examined: testing, education, and opportunity. When AIDS is mentioned on a national level, it is often in relation to the chronic funding shortages for AIDS services or to the epidemic among African-Americans. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, receives greater attention and attracts considerably more press than the work taking place within America.
Increasingly, AIDS is seen as an “overseas” or an “African” problem, rather than something that directly affects American citizens. And at the end of 2008, women accounted for 50% of all adults worldwide living with HIV. In Africa, more than 14 million children are labeled “AIDS orphans” (those under 18 who lost one or both parents to AIDS). AIDS has killed more than 25 million people worldwide since 1981. And despite ongoing improvements in access to antiretroviral treatment, 2008 saw another 2 million deaths from AIDS. By the end of 2008, an estimated 33.4 million people were living with HIV/AIDS. Statistics - more accurately, estimates - from 2008 indicate that in developing and transitional countries, 9.5 million people are in immediate need of life-saving AIDS drugs of these, only 4 million, or 42%, are receiving the drugs. 1ĪIDS has been at the forefront of global health news from the earliest hints of a “dread disease” in 1981 to today’s successful solution for many patients - “cocktails” of effective antiretroviral drugs to treat that dread disease. Access to essential HIV information, prevention tools, treatments, and services are part of protecting people living with HIV and members of other vulnerable groups. First observed in 1988, this special day has served to raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic, honor those who have died, focus attention on issues that are key to a successful response, and inspire positive action. People around the world are encouraged to 1) take action to tackle HIV prejudice, and 2) protect themselves and others from HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that causes the acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Orld AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1st. Key players in clinical labs hold starring roles Go to to read the archived article from 1985, “What every laboratorian should know about AIDS.” discuss different available tools of communication that can be used to raise awareness and detection of HIV/AIDS.discuss the rationale for comprehensive education on HIV/AIDS and.list various age groups, in particular at-risk groups, which should be tested for HIV.describe statistics on HIV/AIDS to include the number of people affected in various geographic regions of U.S.